Business Lessons From the Golf Course

"Never underestimate your strength. Never overestimate your weakness." Recently I wrote a post about a round of golf I played at the Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Arizona. In replying to a comment made by Brian England , I got to thinking about how I was able to post a score equivalent to my male counterparts. Afterall, I am a woman and they can hit a lot farther than I can.

The answer lies in the quote above. You have to analyze your opponents and determine what your strengths are in any given situation and use it against their weaknesses. Never give too much credence to your weakness in a situation. Give the most credence to your strength.

Even though I hit farther than many women, when playing against men I am at a distinct disadvantage. What is a strength when playing against other women, becomes a weakness against male players. When I play against men, I don't even try to outdrive them.

I rely on my accuracy and the short game. Those become the most important aspects of my game. Accuracy and the "short game" (the shorter shots and putting), is a level playing field for everyone... male, female, young or old. It doesn't take strength. It tests focus and skill.

The thing about men is they love to hit it far. And, the farther you try to hit it, the more likely for errant shots. When they hit errant shots, they waste shots getting out of trouble. Even though I am not the one hitting those shots, I use them to my advantage. While they are getting out of trouble, I am working my way up the fairway to the green... where I can beat them with my putting.

This same strategy also works in the real estate business or any business for that matter. We are all given unique personalities and talents. It is up to us to develop them and figure out how to use them to our advantage in business. What works for one doesn't work for another. Find your personal strengths and create a unique business model that works for you. You don't need to try to do the same thing as your competition to outshine them. You just need to figure out what strength of yours will play to their weakness. Are you better at communicating, market knowledge, negotiation, promotion, photography, or something else? If you aren't better, get better!

This is how you get the lead, earn the listing, secure the buyer, or whatever it is you're trying to achieve.

Hi Bob BetelYou are absolutely right in that, generally speaking, golf is an individual sport. I do happen to compete quite a bit (individually and in team play) and one needs to adjust their strategy depending on the competition and what is and isn't working on any given day.

We certainly do need to challenge ourselves to get better but also to improve in ways that will separate us from the rest of the field.

This is an excellent post, and I can relate to the golf analogy. "it's not how you drive it's how you arrive". There is so much between how you start and how you finish. The goal is the same but how we get there makes the difference.

That's using what's between your ears - you go girl! I'd love to be your caddy some day. Although I don't play and never learned, I'd love to watch! Preparing yourself for the end game is your specialty!

Great post and insights! I would also like to suggest the benefit of "practice rounds". How thoroughly do we actually prepare for listing or showing appointments? Which areas of our expertise and communication skills could use strengthening?

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